1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer systems, and more particularly to a system and method for assessing the need for installing software patches in a computer system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In recent years, the field of computer systems and computer programming has grown exponentially. With computing speeds and technology ever-increasing, the complexity and sophistication of computer programs is increasing commensurately. Due to a number of factors, including increased product sophistication, hurried deadlines to market, inadequate testing, etc., many computer programs are released with various defects, which are later discovered. A defect is generally termed as either a xe2x80x9ccriticalxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnon-criticalxe2x80x9d defect, depending upon the ramifications of the defect. Defects that may corrupt system resources, or even crash a system altogether, are termed xe2x80x9ccritical,xe2x80x9d while other more benign defects are termed xe2x80x9cnon-critical.xe2x80x9d
As is known, defects are normally corrected through software xe2x80x9cpatches,xe2x80x9d which are programs that install over a program containing a defect. Specifically, patches are designed to integrate into a program and replace known, existing defects. For a given software program, particularly after the program has been available for a long time, there are often a number of identified defects, and correspondingly a number of patches. Indeed, frequently patches are created to replace other patches, for a given program.
By way of nomenclature, a patch that corrects a critical defect is called a critical patch. A patch that replaces a critical patch, but adds nothing new to the correction of the critical error (instead only additionally correcting non-critical defects) is called a xe2x80x9csupersedes criticalxe2x80x9d patch (or xe2x80x9csupercedesxe2x80x9d patch). Similarly, a patch that corrects only non-critical defects is called a xe2x80x9cnon-criticalxe2x80x9d patch.
Frequently, people desire only to install patches that are necessary to correct critical errors. Thus, in such situations, non-critical patches need not be installed. In fact, many supercedes patches need not be installed, if certain prior critical patches have already been installed. In systems having a number of patches, it is often a difficult or painstaking process to determine whether a given supercedes patch is necessary, or whether the critical defect corrected therein has already been corrected by a previously installed patch.
Accordingly, there is a desire to provide a system and method for accessing the need for installing software patches in a given computer system. In one scenario, there is a need for a system and method that can evaluate a system configuration and generate a list of software patches for critical patches that need to be installed on that evaluated system. In another scenario, there is a need for a system and method that can evaluate a system configuration and determine whether a specific software patch needs to be installed (i.e., whether the specific patch corrects a critical error that has not been corrected with a previous patch).
Certain objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the advantages and novel features, the present invention is generally directed to a system and method for critical patches for installation on a given computer system. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of obtaining an identification of installed components on the computer system, and obtaining a list of all relevant patches for the installed components. The method further generates a Boolean logic expression for each relevant patch, and evaluates each Boolean logic expression to determine a minimal set of patches to be installed, which minimal set of patches include patches for all critical errors.
In essence, a database containing all patch information for a given family, or all families, of software components of a computer system may be accessed, and a Boolean logic expression may be constructed for a given family of patches. Specifically, the Boolean logic expression may express which patches (or alternative patch configurations) should be installed in order to have all critical defects effectively patched. In one embodiment, the system may evaluate the current configuration of a given computer system to determine what patches are presently installed, and determine the fewest additional patches that need to be installed to correct or repair all critical defects in the family, or families, of software.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for determining whether a given software patch is a critical patch that is recommended for installation on a given computer system. In accordance with this inventive aspect, the method obtains patch information for a family of patches that are related to the given software patch, and obtains an identification of patches within the family of patches that are currently installed on the computer system. The method then identifies a predecessor list, wherein the predecessor list includes a sequence of patches in the family of patches that precede the given software patch, and constructs a Boolean logic expression of the family of patches. In the Boolean logic expression, critical patches are ANDed in the Boolean logic expression and supercedes critical patches are ORed in the Boolean logic expression. Finally, the method evaluates the Boolean logic expression with reference to obtained currently installed patches.